140-year-old zoo in Buenos Aires to close down and be converted to an eco-park

Buenos Aires has taken a decision to close its 140-year-old zoo and convert it into an eco park because keeping wild animals in captivity and on display 'is degrading'. The mayor of the Argentine capital, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, has indicated that the zoo will gradually relocate most of its 1,500 animals to sanctuaries at home and abroad. The reason is that they are not living in adequate conditions.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 25 June 2016.

The Mayor wants Argentina to follow the global trend of turning zoos into parks and sanctuaries. He believes that animals should live in their natural habitats. This situation of captivity is degrading for the animals and it is not the way to take care of them. The new eco park will provide a safe haven for animals rescued from illegal trafficking.
The mayor has termed it as a place where children can learn how to take care of and relate with the different species. The important thing is to value is the animals. The Buenos Aires zoo was inaugurated in 1875 in what used to be the outskirts of the Argentine capital. The zoo is now surrounded by the busy Palermo neighborhood and has been making a loss for years. It is expected to close soon so that work on the ecological park can begin.
Incidentally, four years ago, the last remaining polar bear at the zoo had died after overheating of its cage in soaring summer temperatures.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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